Two seasons ago, the Jazz falling to the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals was the culmination of an unexpectedly successful season, given the dire outcome many had assumed was in store after a certain someone rode some Fourth of July fireworks all the way to Boston.
This past season, falling to the Houston Rockets in the opening round of the playoffs represented a disappointing underachievement, considering the front office had brought back nearly the entire roster from the previous campaign, having bet that continuity and internal development would yield additional progress.
And so, sitting at the Western Conference card table this summer, tired of seeing the Rockets hit 20s, and the Warriors (who have appeared in five straight Finals) getting blackjacks, the Jazz decided they weren’t going to stand on 16 anymore.